JazzColumbus Weekly – October 22, 2015

On:October 21, 2015

In the news this week are details on how non-musicians and musicians alike can get more involved in the local jazz scene, and the arts scene at large. There are many local arts organizations that support local jazz that could use your help as a volunteer. A particular current need for volunteers is support for the SEMM Foundation’s Jazz Brew Concert Series. This valuable series is a major undertaking, and the organization needs people in various roles to help these events run smoothly. Click here for more information from the foundation on all volunteer opportunities. Another way for musicians and educators to get involved comes from the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington. The MAC has received a PNC Arts Alive! grant to host a music festival that includes musical education programs. The center is seeking workshop proposal submissions for the upcoming MAC Music Festival, running June 14, 15, 16 and 18, with slots available for full and half day workshops. If you are interested in presenting a hands-on musical workshop, click here for more information and the proposal submission form.

Shows To See This Week

Thursday, October 22nd (6:30 – 9:30pm):Robert Mason Trio at SuperChef’s, Gahanna. This popular “breakfast and more” restaurant has been presenting a great lineup of local small group jazz for dinner every Thursday night in recent months. This week’s installment brings to the stage a talented young trio of pianist Mason, bassist John Allen and drummer Willie Barthel. Mason and Allen just wrapped up a stint performing on a cruise ship with drummer Jerry Powell’s trio, so their chemistry should be as strong as ever. Mason promises a selection of tunes from “artists like Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Musiq Soulchild, Horace Silver, Chick Corea, and many more,” so this will be a soulful stop heading into the weekend.

Monday, October 26th (6 – 9pm):John Fedchock with the Columbus Jazz Quartet at Dick’s Den. The North Campus jazz institution is hosting a rare Monday night show for the third week in a row, and this one will be extra special. NYC-based Fedchock, a Cleveland native and OSU alum, is recognized as a top international trombonist, a talented bandleader, and a Grammy-nominated arranger over his career that dates back to 1980. Fluidity, his seventh album as a leader, was released on Summit Records in March and received a four-star review in Downbeat. In his return to town, Fedchock will be joined by the CJQ, featuring some of Columbus’ best musicians: Randy Mather on sax, Mark Rubenstein on piano, Chris Berg on bass, and Aaron Scott on drums. This FREE show will be a great place to hear top-notch straight-ahead jazz at a very reasonable hour.

Wednesday, October 28th (8 – 11pm): Ryan Folger Trio: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk at Brothers Drake. The meadery wraps up a strong month of Jazz Wednesday shows with drummer Folger’s second show as a leader. As Folger told me, this will be a different band from his debut, as he will be joined by Danny Bauer on piano and Marty Quinn on bass. The night will feature the debut of multiple pieces, including Bauer’s composition “Makin’ Like Monk,” written in the style of the piano legend, as well as some arrangements of jazz standards also in his style. The in-demand Bauer is well-versed in Monk’s work, so expect this trio of current and former Capital music students to put on a well-honed and reverent homage to an American original.

Have a great week! Enjoy a selection of videos from the artists performing this week: